To be honest, Zuo Mu really didn't want to entangle with this man at all. But it seemed that some things needed to be made clear now.
"I'm not at all curious about what Mr. Shen thinks. But Tang Tang is my younger sister. I don't want my sister to be constantly harassed by strangers. Please cooperate, Mr. Shen."
Tang Tang stood behind Zuo Mu. There was still a strong smell of disinfectant on him, a lingering scent from his long - term stay in the hospital. His undershirt on the upper body was almost completely soaked and clung tightly to his back, revealing his well - defined back muscles.
She guessed that he had run all the way here.
"Mr. Zuo, Tang Tang is very beautiful. I like beautiful girls."
Tang Tang felt that this was the first time she had been complimented on her beauty but felt nauseated instead. For some reason, she always felt that this man's tone of speech was familiar, but she just couldn't remember where she had heard it before.
Sometimes Zuo Mu wished that he could solve the current situation with a fight. He really wanted to punch this guy in the face right now, so as to stop this guy from spouting nonsense.
"Her beauty is her own business. Please respect yourself, Mr. Shen, and stop harassing my sister. If there's a next time, I'll call the police directly."
Shen Tian watched the backs of the two as they left. The smile on his face seemed to be tattooed there, but it wasn't at all pleasant to look at. "Tang Tang, I'm looking forward to our next meeting."
Tang Tang was led by Zuo Mu into the car. Her mind was still a bit muddled.
It wasn't until Zuo Mu leaned over to fasten her seat - belt that she came back to her senses. When her eyes focused, she found that the distance between her and Zuo Mu was only a few centimeters.
Tang Tang didn't know if Zuo Mu could hear her thundering heartbeat. Anyway, she almost held her breath and didn't dare to move a muscle, gripping the chair tightly.
Maybe he was just too used to doing this kind of thing. Zuo Mu didn't notice the abnormality in Tang Tang's expression. He just thought the little girl's face was so red that she looked like a cooked shrimp.
"What's wrong? Not feeling well?"
Zuo Mu reached out to push aside Tang Tang's bangs and touched her forehead. Apart from a thin layer of sweat, her body temperature was completely normal.
"I'm fine." Tang Tang felt a bit awkward. She turned her head and leaned against the window, trying hard to calm herself down.
She could still feel the sweat from Zuo Mu's palm on her own. Tang Tang rubbed her palms uneasily and her eyelashes drooped.
Zuo Mu was a bit confused. He didn't know why the little girl suddenly seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Do you... like that uncle just now?" Zuo Mu came to this conclusion after much thought.
Tang Tang was feeling shy. She was a bit speechless at Zuo Mu's train of thought. "No, I don't like him. He gives me an uncomfortable feeling."
"Then what's the matter? What did I do to upset you?"
Tang Tang thought that if she didn't give Zuo Mu a reasonable explanation, this stubborn guy might think about it all night.
"Because you were late. If you hadn't been late, I wouldn't have met him. And I had to stand in the sun for so long. If I get tanned tomorrow, it's all your fault."
Due to the lack of parental care since childhood, Tang Tang was mostly a sensible and independent child. But most of the times when she acted coquettishly or threw a tantrum were in front of Zuo Mu.
Of course, Zuo Mu was used to Tang Tang's occasional little tantrums. After all, she was a girl, and it was okay to spoil her a bit.
"Okay, okay, it's my fault. I promise you that I'll never be late again. Forgive me, okay?" Zuo Mu's voice was deep. Since the distance between them wasn't far, Tang Tang felt as if he was speaking right next to her ear.
"I'm hungry." Tang Tang shifted the topic uncomfortably. The blush on her cheeks still hadn't faded.
Zuo Mu couldn't help but smile. Although he knew that this girl wasn't really angry, she did look quite cute like this.
Unexpectedly, there was a traffic jam on the way back. They had to order take - out on the way. Fortunately, the food arrived just as they got home.
"Brother Zuo Mu, where's my dad? I haven't seen him for a long time recently."
Although Tang Tang liked her father Tang Gu's free - spirited nature, she really hadn't seen him for quite a while.
"Uncle Tang has gone abroad to study. He may not be back for a while. By the way, you little girl don't care about your dad at all." Zuo Mu joked with a smile.
Tang Tang pouted. "My dad and I are used to this. It's not bad like this. But... Brother Zuo Mu, do you know that strange uncle today?"
Tang Tang always felt that Zuo Mu had an inexplicable hostility towards Shen Tian. Although she herself didn't like that man either, Zuo Mu was usually very kind when getting along with others. This was the first time she had seen him like this.
"I don't know him. I just don't like the way he acts."
Zuo Mu didn't want to reveal too much to Tang Tang. Kids thought too much, and she might over - analyze things. Moreover, there were still too many doubts about this matter. It wouldn't be too late to tell her after he had investigated it clearly.
"Okay. Brother, do you know how the investigation into Wang Lin's case is going? Have they caught the murderer?"
Tang Tang had been having nightmares recently. The scenes were all bloody, accompanied by Wang Lin's shrill screams.
Of course, she wouldn't tell Zuo Mu about this, so as not to make him worry for no reason.
Zuo Mu was peeling corn kernels for Tang Tang. His movement suddenly paused. "The investigation is still ongoing. The criminal is quite cunning and didn't leave any useful clues."
Tang Tang had already guessed this result. If there had been any progress, Wang Lin's parents probably wouldn't have caused a scene at school.
"Brother, the criminal called me at that time. Do you think he's more interested in me?" Tang Tang asked carefully, not daring to look Zuo Mu in the eye.
The air - conditioner in the room was turned on very high. The sweat - soaked clothes on Zuo Mu's back had already dried. He heard what Tang Tang said clearly, and he could even guess what she was going to say next.
"Go on." Zuo Mu didn't interrupt directly and waited for Tang Tang to continue.
Actually, Tang Tang was scared. She still felt scared when she thought about that phone call, and her heart would race when she thought about the prank in the toilet that day. But if she could help find out about Wang Lin's case, she was willing to do it even if it was very dangerous.
"Brother, why don't you talk to the police and use me as bait to contact the criminal? To be honest, I'm very scared, but I believe you'll protect me well. Moreover, it's more urgent to catch the criminal now. Otherwise, if he commits another crime, more innocent people will be involved."
The air between them was very quiet, because Zuo Mu knew that this was actually a good way.
Tang Tang was obviously the real target, and Wang Lin was just a bait to lure Tang Tang out. If they used Tang Tang as a bargaining chip, the probability of catching the criminal would increase a lot.
But his task was to protect her safety.
Facing the unknown, Zuo Mu had no confidence at all.
Zuo Mu's silence made Tang Tang understand. He wouldn't agree, but he also couldn't find the words to refuse.